Aysén Region
Región de Aysen (also Región de Aysen ), officially Región del General Carlos Ibáñez Aysen del Campo, formerly XI. Called Región, is a regional administrative unit in the south of Chile. The capital is Coyhaique. Covering an area of 108,494 km ² live 94 271 inhabitants ( census 2012), the focus to just under 80 % to a few urban centers.
Geography
The region is divided into four provinces with 10 municipalities ( Comunas ):
Cities and important places from north to south ( population figures according to 2002 census ):
- Melinka ( Comuna Guaitecas ), 1,411 inhabitants
- Puerto Cisnes ( Comuna Cisnes ), 2,507 inhabitants
- Villa Mañiguales ( Comuna Aysen ), 1,401 inhabitants
- Puerto Aysen ( Comuna Aysen ), 16,936 inhabitants
- Puerto Chacabuco ( Comuna Aysen ), 1,243 inhabitants
- Coyhaique ( Comuna Coyhaique ), 44,850 inhabitants
- Chile Chico ( Comuna Chile Chico ), 3,042 inhabitants
- Cochrane ( Cochrane Comuna ), 2,217 inhabitants
The Aysen region is criss-crossed by huge glaciated areas, fjords and countless islands. The glaciers of Campo Hielo Norte and the Campo de Hielo Sur cover huge areas of the region. These areas start at about the level of Chile Chico in the West.
At the height of the Río Baker and Baker channel, the ice drift that pushes from the Antarctic ice to the west coast of Patagonia begins. Far to the west are the large peninsula and the islands of the Chonos Taitao Archipelago. This area has several large national parks.
In the east, the largest lake in Chile, Lago General Carrera is with an area of around 2,200 km ². The lake is located partially on Argentine territory.
Active volcanoes such as Cerro Hudson, covered, for example, the area around Puerto Ingeniero Ibáñez with strong ash rain in recent times.
The climate is in the southern areas of Aysen already very polar winters with around -20 ° C. More pleasant climate prevails around the Lago General Carrera. Chile Chico is also called ' Ciudad del Sol '.
Administrative structure
History
Prior to the settlement by colonists of the people Kaweskar or Alacalufes lived in the region. Francisco de Ulloa in 1553 reached on behalf of Pedro de Valdivia for the first time Taitao Peninsula. 1766/67 was made by the Jesuit Father José García Alsué a four-month mission trip through the westpatagonischen islands and reported, among other by a river, which he called Estero Aysen.
Circa 1899 explored and charted the German geographer Hans Steffen Western Patagonia. The border with Argentina continued to cause to the British King Edward VII fixed the official Chilean- Argentine border on 20 November 1902. After the gradual settlement of the region began. The cities were officially until about 1925.
The highway Carretera Austral was the Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet build from 1976 to 1997. It runs from Puerto Montt to Villa O'Higgins.
In 1991, 100 km northwest of Chile Chico from the volcano Cerro Hudson. This was one of the largest volcanic eruptions in the last century. Many cities in the area were covered by ash rain.
Economy
With the Carretera Austral, the long-awaited upturn came to the region. The region depends mainly on tourism, fishing and sheep farming. In the north the forestry plays a greater role. There are some zinc and gold mines in the region.
There is a frontier trade with Argentina, and ferry service to Puerto Montt. Many cities have their own small airports, to bridge the long distances between places faster.
Tourism
The Aysen region has a number of national parks, as well as various national reserves, which are popular tourist destinations.
- National Park Bernardo O'Higgins, Chile 's largest national park
- National Park Isla Guamblin
- National Park Isla Magdalena
- Laguna San Rafael National Park
- Reserva Nacional Katalalixar
- Reserva Nacional Las Guaitecas
- Reserva Nacional Río Simpson
The main objectives are the tourists glacier tours and Lago General Carrera. In addition, fishing trips, trekking and mountain tours are very popular.